Medicament carrier



1 26 192 y 7 J. A. LAWTON MEDICAMENT CARRIER- Filed Oct. 23. 1926 grwento'c gWZLM arm c1 5 mama July 26,1927.

UNITED STATES 1,637,153 PATENT orncz.

Jens a LAW'ION, or mnnnn'rown, CONNECTICUT.

KEDICAMENT CARRIER.

Application filed October 23, 1996. Serial No. 143,685.

This inyention elates to a cleaner and medicament carrier for use in cleanin the teeth, and has. for an object to provi' e an improved device of this character'which is adapted to be inserted into the interproximal spaces between the teeth and used for cleaning the adjacent surfaces ofthe teeth and gums, and will have pockets or containers for carryin the cleaning material or medicament, whic will be carried to the proper surface by the use of the cleaner and will coo erate therewith to clean or medicate the sur aces.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised a construction, several forms of which are shown as examples in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through one form of my improved carrier and cleaning element.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof through the wall between two adjacent pocketsv Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the cleaning carrier showing a somewhat different construction.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section thereof through the wall of twov adjacent pockets.

Fi 5 is a partial side elevation and partial longitudinal section through the carrier and cleaner showing a still different construction.

Fig. dis a transverse section taken between two adjacent pockets.

Fig. 7 'is a lon itudinal section through a single cleaning e ement, and

Fig. 8 is an end elevation thereof.

. In the drawings I have shown several forms of the device but all of which operate in practically the same manner. It will-be understood, of course, that the drawings are 011 a greatly enlarged scale and also are exaggerated to more clearly disclose the construction. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the device comprises a flexible tube of suitable material, preferably rubber, and it is formed with one or more pockets or containers 10 at suitable spaced intervals. These pockets may be formed in various ways, but in the form shown the walls of the tube between the pockets are pressed together, as shown at 11, and either vulcanized so that they form isolated pockets or they may be cemented together, and the pockets are filled with a cleaning material 12, which cure the same effect.

cleaner or medicament.

may be merely a cleaning material, a medicament or the like, and I have used the term cleaning material throughout the specification and claims in its broader sense as meaning merely a cleaning material, a medicament, or a combination of the two, or the like; and it also may be used in various forms, such as a liquid, a paste or a powder. It is preferred that the carrier be prepared in strips of'considerable length so as to be wound on a support or folded and marketed in a suit-able container. The closed walls 11 between adjacent pockets, or at suitable intervals to leave one or more pockets to a section, are provided with a weakened portion 18 so that the sections may be easily torn apart for use. In Fig. 1 the weakened portions are so spaced as to provide two pockets to a section, but there may, of course, be onl one or there may be any number desired. he weakened tearing ofi' portion may be provided by notching the tube on opposite sides as shown at 13, or there may be a series. of perforations to se- It is also preferred that one wall of the tube be weakened so that one wall of the pocket is weaker than the other, this being shown as the upper wall 14 in Figs. 1 and 2, so that when the element is used this insures that this wall of the pocket will be broken to release the In use'a desired length of the element is separated from the strip, either by tearing or cuttin it off, and it is then inserted between t e teeth into the interproximal space. The wall of the pocket may then be broken either by pressing the pocket with the finger against the teeth or by drawing the pocket against the teeth. As the wall of the pocket is ruptured the cleaning material is forced out onto the teeth, the gums, and the carrier, and

as the carrier is drawn back and forth it will,

carrier is made up of two fiat flexible stripsv 15 and 16 of suitable material, such as rubber, which are cemented or otherwise secured together as indicated, to provide spaced pockets or containers 17 for the cleaner or medicament 12. The walls between: these containers or pockets may be weakened at 18 the same as in the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to facilitate separating the carrier into sections of the desired length for use in cleaning the teeth. This construction is used the same as the first form, and one of the flat strips, as the upper strip 16, will be somewhat thinner or weaker as indicated on the drawing, so that as the pocket is pressed against the teeth this wall will be ruptured to release the cleaning material wh1le the other wall will have suiiicient strength for rubbing the material against the surfaces to be cleaned and for cleaning them by fric tional action as indicated above. lso the surface of the material may be corrugated to increase its frictional valve and its capacity for holding the cleaning material and carrying it to the surfaces to be cleaned. If desired the upper wall 16 may be made of some material which will be dissolved by contact with the saliva in the mouth to thus release the cleaning material.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the construction is practically the same as that shown in Figs. 1v and 2, except that the walls of the carrier 19 between the pockets or containers 20 insteadof merely being pressed together as shown in Fig. 1, are twisted together as indicated at 19, and either pressed together, fused or cemented to form separate pockets or containers. This makes a somewhat better cleaning element as the spiral surfaces or edges formed by this construction carries the cleaning material to the cleaning surfaces and also has a somewhat more effective cleaning action on the sur-v faces.

In Figs. 7 and 8 the construction is practically the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but, however, shows merely a single section having a single ocket or container 21 to the strip, for hol ing the cleaning material 12. The sides of the tube are pressed together, as shown at 22. to close the opposite ends of the pocket. This form is intended to be made in separate sections and dispensed in containers holding any desired number of these sections, and it will, of course, be understood the section may have one or more pockets or containers as desired.

My improved carrier and cleaning element will provide a means for the individual person as well as for the dentist in operation for effectively and quickly cleaning interproximal spaces between the teeth and the curved mar of the teeth by friction, which has not can hitherto available. It will effectively remove food dbris and other solid matter from between the teeth, and will discover if there are faulty or im erfect fillings and obscure cavities between t e teeth. This carrier can be used for carrying other antiseptics or medicinal fluids, pastes or solids between the teeth for treatment of diseased conditions of the teeth, gums, or surrounding tissues. If the carrier is made of rubber this cleaning material or medicament should be of a material which is not affected by contact with the rubber or will cause deterioration of the rubber, or the interior surface of the rubber may be coated with some material which would not affect or be affected by the cleaning material.

For ordinary use it is believed the pockets should be approximately about a quarter of an inch long and the pressed spaces between them about one-half inch, although of course, it will be understood that this may be v'aried as is found desirable and necessary. It is preferred that the pockets shall contain the cleaning material, such as a soluble antiseptic or dentifrice, in the form of a paste as that is the most common form which is used at the present time, but I am not, of course, limited to the use of a paste as it may be in the form of a liquid or powder, and the completed article is dispensed in a sanitary container for easy accessibility by the individual user. As indicated above the use is very simple, as it is used by beingpassed between the teeth to the interproximal space and then drawn back and forth against the surfaces, the pockets containing the cleaner being broken by being drawn against the the teeth with the fingers, thus depositing this material on the surfaces to be treated. or onto the carrier which then wipes it onto the teeth or the surface being treated. The elasticity of the rubber makes it possible to regulate ressure between the teeth and on each toot The solubility of the medicament renders the fluids of the mouth comparatively sterile for a short time, thus creating the desirable clean conditions. The carrier may be a solid piece of rubber with the medicament on it, or the pockets for the medicament may be formed on such a piece of rubber.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a dental cleaner which comprises a carrier adapted to be drawn into the interproximal spaces between the teeth and having a pocket carrying a medicament or cleanlng material, a wall of the pocket being adapted to be broken by pressure so that the medicament or cleaning material will be carried by the carrier to the surfaces to be cleaned.

'2. A dental cleaning element comprising a flexible carrier adapted to be inserted between the teeth and rubbed against a surface to be cleaned and'having a pocket containing a cleaning material, a wall ofthe pocket being adapted to be broken to deposit the cleaning material on the surface to be cleaned.

3. A dental cleaning element comprising a flexible cleaner and carrier adapted to be inserted in the interproximal spaces between the teeth and carrying a ocket containing a cleaner, a wall of the pocllet being adapted to be ru tured to release the cleaner.

4. A ental cleaning element comprising a flexible rubber tube adapted to be inserted in the interproximal spaces between the teeth and having its sidewalls secured together at spaced intervals to provide a pocket a cleaning material in said pocketq a wall of the pocket adapted to be ruptured by pressure to release the cleaning material.

5. A dental cleaning element comprisin a flexible rubber tube adapted to be inserte in the interproximal spaces between the teeth and having its side walls secured together at spaced intervals to provide spaced pockets, a cleanin material in said pockets, a wall of the pocfirets being adapted to be ruptured by dpressure to release the cleaning material, an having a weakened portion to permit easy separation of the element into separate strips.

6. A dental cleaning element comprising a flexible cleaner and carrier adapted to be inserted in the interproximal spaces between the teeth and carrying a plurality of spaced pockets. a cleaning material in said pockets, and the walls of the carrier be-.

tween the pockets being provided 'with a weakened portion to permit easy separation of the carrier into separate sections.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

- JAMES A. LAWTON.

the walls between the pockets. 

